STC Chapter Receives Show, Distinction Awards

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Macon–Mercer University’s Society for Technical Communication (STC) Chapter in the School of Engineering recently received two honors at the STC international conference in Seattle, Wash. Mercer’s STC chapter received the Student Chapter of Distinction Award, the highest honor given to a student chapter in this professional society. The award is only given to one student chapter in each of the STC’s two chapter size categories. The student group also received the Best of Show Award for its newsletter, “Connections,” in the STC Newsletter Competition.
 
Thirty-eight organizations submitted entries for the international newsletter competition, including 31 professional chapters, four student chapters and three special interest groups. The newsletter was judged based on its content, design and ability to communicate news and information between STC chapters and special interest groups and their members.
 
Mercer technical communication student Carla Paschke of Macon accepted the two awards on behalf of her chapter. Paschke, who graduated at the May 14 commencement, served as the newsletter editor and chapter president.
 
“I feel so very honored to have received these awards,” she said. “I have served as newsletter editor for three years during which time I have been continuously working to improve the publication. I still find it unbelievable that a small student chapter from Georgia could win such a prestigious award. The chapter has come so far during my three years on the board, and I am confident that the new executive board will continue the traditions we have started.”
 
Dr. Marjorie Davis, chair of Mercer’s Department of Technical Communication, senior member of STC and Mercer student STC chapter adviser for many years, said being honored with these two awards is a tremendous honor for a small student chapter like Mercer’s.
 
“In all the years that the international newsletter competition has been held, I have never known many student newsletters to make a significant showing; after all, they compete with all the professional newsletters from around the world,” she said. “Carla Paschke has done a spectacular job with our Mercer STC newsletter. Last year she won an Award of Excellence. This year, winning the Best of Show, is the highest accolade possible. She is a credit to her chosen profession of technical communication, and an outstanding ambassador for Mercer University.”
 
The Society for Technical Communication is a 25,000-member organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication.
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